Means for protecting cellophane containers against damage from rapid temperature changes



May 2, 1961 2,982,659

L. C. MOTE MEANS FOR PROTECTING CELLOPHANE CONTAINERS AGAINST DAMAGE FROM RAPID TEMPERATURE CHANGES Filed May 1, 1957 L/II/II'IIII'I'I lllb Arwem'or fiewis @haries "W\o1' r- I wwmsz 7y.

United States Patent 6 IVIEANS FOR PROTECTING 'CELLOPHANE CON- TAINERS AGAINST DAMAGE FROM RAPID TEMPERATURE CHANGES Lewis Charles Mote, 227 Filmore, Ottumwa, Iowa Filed May 1, 1957, Ser. No. 656,339

6 Claims. (Cl. 99-171) This invention relates to the manufacture of a cellophane or like bag, so constructed as to be proof against damage from rapid temperature changes, breakage hazards, and the preservation of the contents in the container. The invention is an improvement on the disclosure in my application for United States LettersPatent on the method of and means for protecting cellophane containers against damage from rapid temperature changes, filed January 30, 1956, SerialNumber 562,107, and is a continuation-in-part of my application on a method of and means for making cellophane and like containers, filed January 17, 1957, Serial Number 634,650, now abandoned.

Many items are now placed in cellophane bags or containers and thence transported to points of usage. Obviously, some items are of a perishable nature and this is true of cookies, crackers, dried -edibles, cakes, candy, and like. The national damage loss during both the hot and cold months of the year is terrific. The reason for this is that cellophane cannot stand rapid temperature changes. Its explosive breakage in somewhat similar to that of a thin glass, or china cup when hot water is poured into the glass or cup, or when the cup is cold and subjected to heat. If permitted to slowly heat up or cool off the glass or cup will not break. The characteristics of cellophane are similar and when a cellophane package is moved from a warm room to the cold temperature in a transporting vehicle, or moved from a cold area to a warm area, the cellophane will shatter.

This obviously is objectionable as the package can no longer act as a holding container.

the necessary hermetically sealed condition is ruined and usually with it the perishable product.

This state of affairs was brought out in my previously referred to application wherein a metallic ribbon was inserted into the cellophane bag. However, in assembly line packaging, cellophane tubes are used and these tubes are sealed by heating process and crimped at both ends with the goods therein. In such rapid packaging, there is only one feasible method of installing my metallic ribbon and that is its insertion into the cellophane tube prior to the crimping and cutting. However, cellophane and likewill not adhere to a metallic ribbon per se, and the result is that the bag remains open at both ends at the point where the metallic ribbon extends into and from the package.

Also, one of the chief objections to packaged goods is that contents of the package rapidly become stale and/or rancid and lose their freshness.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a method of preventing the breaking of Also, many products are sealed in and by the cellophane cracked or broken cellophane and like packages, due to their subjection to method of installing a metallic ribbon through a crimped;

and sealed end of a cellophane or like bag at time of manufacture. j

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of causing a metallic ribbon to stick and adhere to cellophane when the cellophane is subjected to heat.

.A still further object of my invention is to provide a method of successfully packaging goods, both perishable and non-perishable, that is economical to manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawtion taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and more fully illustrates its construction,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of my invention taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of my metallic ribbon.

In these drawings I have used the numeral 10 to designate a cellophane bag constructed from a tube of cellophane and with each of its two ends hermetically and crimp sealed. This crimping procedure, and as shown in Fig. 3, is a well known practice. It is to such a container that I apply my invention and which I will now describe in detail.

At time of manufacture, I pass an elongated metallic ribbon 11 through the cellophane tube. When the cellophane tube is cut into lengths to produce a container, as shown in Fig. l, the two ends designated 12. and 13 are passed through a crimping machine and heat applied to cause the top and bottom sheets of the tube to fuse and adhere to each other. As before noted, my metallic .ribbon will pass through these crimped ends and will not adhere nor bond with the cellophane. Therefore, prior to the insertion of my metallic ribbon I have intermittently treated it on both sides'and edges with an adhesive that become taclky or sticky when heat is applied. Thus, when the cellophane package is hermetically sealed and crimped in the usual manner, it will also adhere and stick to my metallic ribbon, thereby hermetically sealing the package at the point where the metallic ribbon extendsthrough the fastened crimped ends of the package.

The adhesive which I use to treat my metallic ribbon is most important. Of course, first of all the adhesive must be normally in a dry, non-sticky state, and only melt into an adhesive when high heat is applied thereto. Secondly, the adhesive must comply with all of the Pure Food and Drug requirements. Obviously, this is necessary as most of the goods packaged, as shown in Fig. 1, contains edibles. Also the adhesive must be such that it will not alfect, no'r be alfected by, the material inside the bag. The adhesive meeting such requirements would be one having a Wax base. The only commercial adhesive known to me and that meets all of the objectives is known by the trade name Proxmelt No. 22. This product is put out by the Proxylin Products Company, Inc., 4851 South St.

Louis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. It is a dry powder prod- I to all areas of the metallic ribbon and permittedto dry and cool. When the ribbon so treated has returned to Patented May 2, 1961 normal temperatures, the adhesive is non-detectable, dry, and is not sticky. The adhesive plating will be /2 to onethousandths inch thickness on both sides.

As to the thickness of the metallic ribbon per se, I recommend a foil ribbon of approximately 7 one-thousandths inch thickness. I have found that in applying the adhesive, the metallic ribbon must not be completely covered with the adhesive. Apparently, if the metallic ribbon were completely covered with the adhesive, it would be electrically insulated, it would be substantially insulated from heat and cold, and furthermore the metallic ribbon would not oxidize. Therefore, in treating my metallic ribbon I have a series of spaced apart adhesive collars extending around the ribbon transversely, as shown in Fig. 4. These collars may be of any suitable width or design. In my experiences, however, I find that a collar of /8 inch width is satisfactory and with each of the adhesive collars spaced approximately ,2; of an inch apart. By this arrangement of the adhesive there will be substantial surface areas of the metallic ribbon uncoated and therefore exposed. However, it is necessary that the crimping of the two ends of the bag strike in each instance at least one strip collar of the adhesive. The width of the double crimp of each end of the bag, as shown in Fig. 1, is of sufficient width that it will extend more than A; of an inch and, therefore, regardless of the position of the ribbon extending through the bag, one of the crimps at either end of the bag would pass across a layer of the adhesive and bond the ribbon to the bag.

During the crimping and sealing of the ends of the cellophane package, a temperature is used of approximately 350 F., which is sufficient to cause the cellophane sheets to bond together. This heat is also suflicient to at least partially melt the adhesive coating on my metallic ribbon and cause it to bond the cellophane sheeting with and to the metallic ribbon. Thus, when my method is used the package will be hermetically sealed at both ends with the metallic ribbon extending through the package containing the goods. When so placed this foil (when the package is in a Warm room) will absorb valuable heat units. Upon the removal of the package to a cold condition, the metallic ribbon will give off such heat units thereby slowing down the cooling off to the warm cellophane and thereby preventing its breakage. Vice versa, the metallic ribbon will be slow to heat up when the cellophane package is transplanted from a cold area to a warm area, thereby slowing down the warming of the cold cellophane and preventing its breakage. In other words, my device prevents the too rapid cooling or too rapid heating of the cellophane when subjected to rapid temperature changes. Similar to that of the placement of a spoon in a cup to prevent its breakage when hot water is poured into it, my device prevents the explosive breaking of the sheet cellophane.

In the drawings I have used the numeral 14 to designate the collars of the adhesive glue coating. After the package has been sealed by mechanical crimping and applied heat at 15 it will be hermetically sealed. Also, if desired, the length of the metallic ribbon adjacent the inner side of the package may be stuck thereto by the application of heat.

When a product has been packaged with my metallic ribbon, actual tests have proven several unexpected results. While 'I have described my device as operating similar to that of the placement of a metal object in a teacup, it may well be that the presence of the metallic ribbon functions in still other and possibly unknown actions. It has been observed that even Without severe temperature changes the cellophane package with my ribbon therein will stand up better and longer than if the ribbon is not present. One possibility is that the metallic ribbon provides an electrical phenomenon in changing the static electricity from positive static electricity to negative static electricity, or vice versa. If this takes place it well may be that the surface or core of the cellophane sheet is molecularly modified or changed. Many tests in different parts of the United States indicate this possibility. The most unexpected result from my experimentations has shown without question that the packaged goods is kept fresh by the presence of the exposed portions of the metallic ribbon. Some cellophane packaged goods become rancid or stale after only two or three weeks when sealed in an ordinary cellophane or like package. With my metallic ribbon installed in a bag, such goods will remain unspoiled and fresh over a long period of time. Also, it has been noted that even the color of such products as noodles will be stabilized over a long period of time. My experiments also show that flavor and smell will be retained long after the flavor and smell have disappeared from cellophane packages not using my ribbon. I have no definite explanation of this phenomenon. It may well be that the ribbon after being sealed in the package immediately proceeds to oxidize and in so doing uses up certain elements of the air in the package and with the disappearance of such element or elements, the goods in the package cease to deteriorate.

Any suitable metallic ribbon may be used for accomplishing one or more of the objects above discussed. However, my experimentations to date have been with aluminum ribbon foil and I highly recommend the use of aluminum as the ribbon material. Aluminum has the qualities of rapid temperature transfer, surface corrosion possibilities, and electrical conductivity.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my method of and means for protecting cellophane or like containers against damage from rapid temperature changes and breakage hazards, and the preservation of the contents of the container without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination with a plastic container hermetically sealed along spaced areas extending between opposite sides of the container and having a spoilable material therein between said spaced areas, the improvement which comprises providing said container with means, for increasing the resistance to rupture of said container and/ or extending the unspoiled life of said spoilable material, in the form of a metallic ribbon extending through said container and the'spaced seal areas of said container, said ribbon having at least a portion of the surface thereof within said container exposed to said spoilable material, and at least a portion of each end thereof exposed to the atmosphere from which said spoilable material is hermetically sealed.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said container is cellophane and said ribbon is aluminum.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said ribbon has a thickness of approximately 5 4. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said ribbon has a plurality of spaced apart heat-sensitive adhesive collars extending transverse the longitudinal axis of said ribbon and encircling said ribbon.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said collars extend at least substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said ribbon, wherein said collars each extend across approximately A3" of the surface of said ribbon and are spaced apart by a distance of approximately ,4,.

6. An aluminum ribbon for use with containers adapted to be hermetically sealed along spaced areas extending between opposite sides of the container, the sealing areas having predetermined minimum widths, said ribbon carrying throughout the length thereof spaced collars of heat-sensitive adhesive extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said ribbon and encircling said ribbon, the spaces between adjacent collars being less than said container, whereby when said ribbon extends through said container and said container is sealed, said ribbon passes through, and at least two of said collars form part of, the sealing areas of said container and prevent leakage adjacent said ribbon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wineberger Dec. 1, 1885 German June 12, 1900 Royal Nov. 25, 1930 Costello Jan. 2, 1934 Corbe May 29, 1934 Prindle Dec. 11, 1934 Reynolds June 4, 1935 6 Salfisberg July 16, 1935 Potdevin et al. July 6, 1937 Gazelle Nov. 12, 1940 Stokes Oct. 21, 1941 3 Knuetter May 12, 1942-"- Albertson Aug. 25, 1942 Salfisberg Oct. 13, 1942-- Saunders Dec. 5, 1950 Bower Mar. 16, 1954" Pickren Oct. 18, 1955 Adams July 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1906 Great Britain July 4, 1956 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A PLASTIC CONTAINER HERMETICALLY SEALED ALONG SPACED AREAS EXTENDING BETWEEN OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CONTAINER AND HAVING A SPOILABLE MATERIAL THEREIN BETWEEN SAID SPACED AREAS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING SAID CONTAINER WITH MEANS, FOR INCREASING THE RESISTANCE TO RUPTURE OF SAID CONTAINER AND/ OR EXTENDING THE UNSPOILED LIFE OF SAID SPOILABLE MATERIAL, IN THE FORM OF A METALLIC RIBBON EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CONTAINER AND THE SPACED SEAL AREAS OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID RIBBON HAVING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SURFACE THERE- 